Where did I go?

I spent the last couple days on the coast of Maine. Why? Getting my picture taken. It’s a long story and I promise details later. But for those of you who have told me – repeatedly – that my official publicity photo doesn’t look like me, take heart. I now have new “official” photos, taken by a photographer who is a magician.

Do you want to see them?

I have to take off in a few minutes for Cortland High School. This afternoon I’ll be signing books at the bakery in Homer, NY. Then I’ll be home for the weekend, getting ready for next week’s final trip of the season.

Thanks for sharing what you’re reading. On the plane I read Joyce Carol Oates’ new collection of short stories and a new memoir by Julia Cameron which still has me thinking.

20 Replies to “Where did I go?”

I admire your career and the fact you are very much in touch with your fans through this journal and your website and traveling cross country to schools all the while attending to family obligations as well.

But I am curious- do you have someone on ‘staff’ who arranges all of your bookings at schools or do you set all that up yourself as well? (If you do manage all of that on your own- that is quite an accomplishment seeing as how you must make time for not only writing new books but also all of the other things you juggle each week. Again, your accomplishments inspire me to double my own writing efforts.

I have a woman who screens the intial inquiries about school visits and who helps with the first stages of setting those things up. (We put lots of information on the website to help with this process.) Once a date has been confirmed, I am responsible for the rest – plane and hotel reservations, etc. More and more my husband has been helping out with these items.

You’re right. All of this takes an enormous amount of time, which is increasingly precious to me. I’ve been tracking my time carefully this year. On average, I spent at least eight hours preparing for each school visit day. This does not include travel time to and from. I love hanging out with students, teachers, and librarians, but I need the time to write books now. This is why I am not visiting schools for the next year.

How was the new JCO? I’m just starting to read her stuff. My interest was greatly piqued by the fabulous (and continually growing!) collection at Syracuse University Library of her papers. She’s the first speaker for the Rosamond Gifford Lecture Series next season. Should be very interesting!

I just seen you. I was in the front row with my friend Michelle who was wearing blue. You were awesome. I just don’t know when you will be at the backery. I might take off now to find out. Yeah. Hehe. Oh and I have a book you should read. It’s called Swollen by Melissa Lion. It’s good, it sort of reminds of your work, a little. Well thanks for coming to Cortland, you were awesome!

yes i would like to see the pictures! i’m sure they’re really nice! oh and i read the short story “where are you going, where have you been” by joyce carol oates. have you read it? it was inspired by the song “it’s all over now baby blue” by bob dylan in case you were wondering. i’ve never heard of julia cameron. well i’d better go. good luck with your speaking and everything! how was signing books at the bakery? did you get to eat a lot of desserts while you were there after you signed books? -ash

I am one of the SUNY Cortland graduate students who had the chance to hear you speak at Cortland JSHS this afternoon. I once again want to thank you for everything you said: you were very entertaining, and also very inspirational. I think you got a lot of kids today to realize that writing is hard, and not churning out gold in draft #1 doesn’t mean they aren’t creative and/or don’t have talent. That’s an important thing for them to understand — it wasn’t until I was a senior in the Professional Writing program at SUNY Cortland that I realized that.

I look forward to the release of Twisted (thanks for the sneak peek) and wish you the best of luck in the future.

Oh snap! Yeeeaaahhhhh!!!! Oh baby!!! I’ve been waitin for dis girlfriend, you know it! Yeahhhh!! See you at the BEA! Please bring a CD wit dat. We gotz to get youz new cards and update da site yo! Yeahhhhh!!!